Nation ups support for migrants

China is gearing up for a better working and living environment for domestic migrant workers, with an aim to facilitate a more solid integration of rural and urban development and allow the workers to share the benefits of common prosperity. Ten central departments, including the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security, the National Development and Reform Commission and the All-China Federation of Trade Unions, recently released a guideline urging governments at all levels to give stronger support to migrant workers in terms of employment, entrepreneurship, skills improvement and rights protection, as well as the growth of their children and families. However, migrant workers nationwide face issues such as aging, slower growth in terms of their numbers and inadequate rights protections of their social insurance and salaries, said the ministry. Under the guideline, local authorities are required to develop industries that can offer more jobs to migrant workers such as nursing and domestic services, and establish human resources services in rural areas to give residents information about jobs. The nation has stepped up efforts to ramp up migrant workers' rights protection in recent years, putting focus on resolving payment arrears, mediating work disputes and improving social insurance, which has yielded fruitful results.